Jim Harbaugh praises Michigan defense for dominant start to season

Jim Harbaugh will back on Michigan’s sidelines on Saturday. The Michigan head coach is proud of his team’s accomplishment’s while he’s been gone. Earlier this week, Harbaugh broke down his team’s defensive success so far this season.

“You talk about being happy for the other guys’ success, happy for the shining light that our defense was in this game. Tremendous performance,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve given up 15 points in three games, that’s 5.3 points per game. You dive into it a little bit deeper: 33 possessions, one touchdown, three field goals.”

The Wolverines boast the No. 1 defense in the country, giving up just 5.3 points and 222.3 yards per game. Michigan’s most recent win was no different. On Saturday, the Wolverines dominated Bowling Green 31-6, giving up just 203 total yards.

Jim Harbaugh knows his numbers

Harbaugh and Co. created a new award for to continue to motivate their defense.

“Guys being the difference makers, guys stepping up, [we’re] calling them guardians of victory now,” Harbaugh said. “[We’ve had] 10 tackles for loss in the past two games. Seventeen players have contributed to 24 tackles for loss, eight guys part of the nine sacks, and less than 250 yards in all three games.”

Insiders expect Michigan’s defense to only improve this weekend. Michigan’s secondary standouts Will Johnson and Rod Moore will potentially return in Michigan’s Big Ten opener against Rutgers on Saturday. The pair missed the Wolverines’ first three games due to undisclosed injuries.

A new challenge for the Wolverines

Michigan will need the extra help on Saturday. Rutgers has looked impressive this season, boasting a 3-0 record with an average win margin of 21.6 points. The Scarlet Knights are dangerous in the ground game, averaging 210.7 rushing yards per outing.

Harbaugh is excited for the challenge.

“Watching the tape, just start getting fired up because you see the positives,” Harbaugh said. “We won, [but] there’s so much to learn from. When I was walking through the building yesterday, we have a quote of the day every day by a player, sometimes by a staff member but mostly by players, Ike Iwunnah was up there. It said, ‘I never lose. I either win or I learn.’ There we go. We got the win and we got to learn.”

It’s difficult to imagine Michigan improving much more. The Wolverines are currently ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll, only trailing Georgia. On Saturday, Michigan will face off against Rutgers at noon ET. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.